Brewed beverage appliance and method

ABSTRACT

A brewed beverage appliance uses a specialized pre-packaged beverage container and a related method of brewing a beverage. The container comprises a cup-shaped base having openings at the bottom. A plurality of roasted, whole coffee beans are contained therein. The appliance has a blade that punctures the cup and then grinds the beans while they are still in the cup. Heated water is delivered to the cup and passes through the ground coffee causing brewed coffee to emit from the openings in the bottom of the cup and into a container such as a coffee mug.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/413,744, filed on Nov. 15, 2010, which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to brewed beverage appliances and, moreparticularly, to a brewed beverage appliance adapted to brew coffee froma pre-packaged, disposable container and filter combination.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various known coffee making appliances involve adding of coffee beans inone of various forms (i.e., ground or unground) to a container that ispart of a machine in which heated water is delivered to the containerand passes therethrough. The container typically includes a filteringmechanism so that heated water exiting the container is in the form ofbrewed coffee. Certain appliances require pre-ground coffee beans to beadded in the form of “grounds.” Other appliances are designed to acceptwhole coffee beans into a hopper or opening and include mechanisms thatgrind the beans into a ground form and then complete the brewingprocess. It is sometimes preferred to keep whole beans on hand formaking coffee so that the coffee may be ground immediately prior tobrewing, as this is believed to produce the freshest tasting coffeebeverage. Yet other appliances required use of pods or pre-packagedcoffee grounds in a serving-sized filter container to be inserted intothe appliance. In such instances, the pre-packaged pods or containersare limited to being filled with ground coffee. Certain pre-packagedcontainers require placement into a separate filter mechanism in theappliance, while others have built-in filtering mechanisms.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage makingappliance and related method that include the benefits of brewing coffeefrom whole beans that are ground immediately before brewing and that arecontained in a convenient, disposable, single-serving package.

These and other objects are achieved by the present invention.

A coffee making appliance in accordance with the present invention isdirected to an appliance, a specialized pre-packaged coffee containerand filter, and a related method of brewing coffee using the same. Thecontainer comprises a cup-shaped base having a large opening at the top,a circumferential sidewall, and a floor with grooves to direct fluidflow to an opening at the bottom. A paper filter is located on the floorof the cup and on top of the paper filter is a screen. Both the paperfilter and the screen are circular and sized to fit across the entiresurface area of the floor. A plurality of roasted, whole coffee beansare positioned on top of the screen and the cup is sealed with a lid offoil so that the beans are contained therein. The appliance hasmechanisms such that when the cup is positioned in a compartment withinthe appliance and the appliance is activated, a blade assembly puncturesthe foil and enters the cup, and then grinds the beans while they arestill in the cup. Next, heated water is delivered to the cup and passesthrough the grounds, causing brewed coffee to emit from the opening inthe bottom of the cup and into a container. The size of the cup and theamount of heated liquid delivered will result in the size of the coffeeserving, such as a single cup or a pre-selected size that is greater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a whole coffee bean pre-packaged filtercup according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective top view of the whole coffee bean pre-packagedfilter cup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective bottom view of the whole coffee beanpre-packaged filter cup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the whole coffee bean pre-packaged filtercup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the whole coffee bean pre-packagedfilter cup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the whole coffee bean pre-packagedfilter cup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of the whole coffee beanpre-packaged filter cup of FIG. 1 taken along line A-A of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a whole coffee bean pre-packaged filtercup according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective right side view of a coffee appliance accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective left side view of the coffee appliance of FIG.9.

FIG. 11 is a left side elevational view of the coffee appliance of FIG.9.

FIG. 12 is a front elevational view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is a right side elevational view of the coffee appliance of FIG.9.

FIG. 14 is a rear elevational view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9.

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9.

FIG. 16 is a bottom plan view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9illustrating a ready mode thereof.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9illustrating the loading of the whole coffee bean pre-packaged filtercup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9illustrating the whole coffee bean pre-packaged filter cup of FIG. 1 ina loading tray.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9 in aloaded state.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9 in abrew-ready state.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9 duringbrewing/operation.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9subsequent to brewing a cup of coffee.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9illustrating the removal of a spent pre-packaged filter cup subsequentto brewing.

FIG. 25A is a schematic view of the whole coffee bean pre-packagedfilter cup of FIG. 1 illustrating water flowing through during a brewingmode.

FIG. 25B is a bottom plan view of a shower head for distributing heatedwater to the whole coffee bean pre-packaged filter cup of FIG. 1 inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a first, side cross-sectional view of the coffee appliance ofFIG. 9 in a first mode.

FIG. 27 is a second, side cross-sectional view of the coffee applianceof FIG. 9 in a first mode.

FIG. 28 is a first, side cross-sectional view of the coffee appliance ofFIG. 9 shown in a second mode.

FIG. 29 is a second, side cross-sectional view of the coffee applianceof FIG. 9 shown in a second mode.

FIG. 30 is a detail schematic view of a grinding motor and grindingblade assembly of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9.

FIG. 31 a cross-sectional, schematic view of the coffee appliance ofFIG. 9 in a mode of operation.

FIG. 32 a cross-sectional, schematic view of the coffee appliance ofFIG. 9 in another mode of operation.

FIG. 33 a cross-sectional, schematic view of the coffee appliance ofFIG. 9 in another mode of operation.

FIG. 34 is an enlarged, detail view of a filter cup lifting mechanismand grinding motor of the coffee appliance of FIG. 9.

FIG. 35 is an enlarged, cross-sectional, schematic view of the coffeeappliance of FIG. 9 in a mode of operation.

FIG. 36 is an enlarged, cross-sectional, schematic view of the coffeeappliance of FIG. 9 in another mode of operation.

FIG. 37 is an enlarged, cross-sectional, schematic view of the coffeeappliance of FIG. 9 in a mode of operation.

FIG. 38 is a perspective view of a grinding blade assembly for use withthe coffee appliance of FIG. 9, in accordance with the presentinvention.

FIG. 39 is a top plan view of the grinding blade assembly of FIG. 38

FIG. 40 is a left side elevational view of the grinding blade assemblyof FIG. 38.

FIG. 41 is a front elevational view of the grinding blade assembly ofFIG. 38.

FIG. 42 is a right side elevational view of the grinding blade assemblyof FIG. 38.

FIG. 43 is a side cross-sectional view of grinding blade assembly ofFIG. 38, taken along line A-A of FIG. 41.

FIG. 44 is a schematic view of a blade assembly and the whole coffeebean pre-packaged filter cup of FIG. 1 shown in a first position.

FIG. 45 is a schematic view of a blade assembly and the whole coffeebean pre-packaged filter cup of FIG. 1 shown in a second position.

FIG. 46 is a schematic view of a blade assembly and the whole coffeebean pre-packaged filter cup of FIG. 1 shown in a third position.

FIG. 47 is a schematic view of a blade assembly and the whole coffeebean pre-packaged filter cup of FIG. 1 shown in a fourth position.

FIG. 48 is an enlarged schematic view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 1in a grinding mode.

FIG. 49 is a cross-sectional view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 1 in agrinding mode, taken along line B-B of FIG. 48.

FIG. 50 is an enlarged schematic view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 1subsequent to grinding coffee beans.

FIG. 51 is an enlarged schematic view of the grinding blade of thecoffee appliance of FIG. 1 grinding a coffee bean according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 52 is a perspective front view of an alternative grinding bladeassembly for use with the coffee appliance of FIG. 9, in accordance withanother embodiment present invention.

FIG. 53 is a perspective rear view of the alternative grinding bladeassembly of FIG. 52.

FIG. 54 is a top plan view of the alternative grinding blade assembly ofFIG. 52.

FIG. 55 is a left side elevational view of the alternative grindingblade assembly of FIG. 52.

FIG. 56 is a front elevational view of the grinding blade assembly ofFIG. 52.

FIG. 57 is a right side elevational view of the grinding blade assemblyof FIG. 52.

FIG. 58 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of the coffee appliance ofFIG. 9 illustrating a flow of water from a reservoir through thepre-packaged filter cup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 59 is a schematic, cross-sectional view of the coffee appliance ofFIG. 9 illustrating a cleaning mode.

FIG. 60 is a perspective view of a water reservoir of the coffeeappliance according to the present invention.

FIG. 61 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the coffee appliance ofFIG. 9

FIG. 62 is a perspective view of a tray for receiving the whole coffeebean pre-packaged filter cup of FIG. 1.

FIG. 63 is a side, cross-sectional view of the tray of FIG. 62.

FIG. 64 is a bottom plan view of the tray of FIG. 62. view of a traycomponent of an appliance according to the present invention.

FIG. 65 is a perspective view of a coffee appliance having a slidabledrip tray according to the present invention.

FIG. 66 is a cross-sectional view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 65showing the slidable drip tray in an extended position.

FIG. 67 is a cross-sectional view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 65showing the slidable drip tray in a retracted position.

FIG. 68 is a schematic view of a coffee appliance according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 69 is a schematic view of a coffee appliance in accordance withanother embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a grindingmotor in a first position.

FIG. 70 is a schematic view of the coffee appliance of FIG. 69illustrating the grinding motor in a second position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-7, a filter cup 10 for use with an applianceaccording to the present invention includes a cup 12, a paper/fabricfilter 14, a plastic screen 16 and a foil cover 18. The filter 14prevents coffee grounds and other sediment from exiting the cup 12during brewing but permits passage of liquid. The cover 18 may be formedfrom aluminum or other material known in the art, and is preferablyheat-sealed or otherwise releasably affixed to the top rim of the cup10. A plurality of whole coffee beans 20 are enclosed in the spacebetween the foil cover 18 and the plastic screen 16. While FIG. 1 showscoffee beans housed in the filter cup 10, other types of food andsubstances, such as tea and the like, may be used in similar fashion tothat described herein, without departing from the broader aspects of thepresent invention.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the cup 12 has an opening 22 at the topthereof, a circumferential sidewall 24 and a floor 26. As best shown inFIGS. 2-7, the floor 26 has a plurality of grooves or channels 28 thatdirect a flow of fluid to a circular depression or recess 30 having oneor more apertures 32. Importantly, the recess 30 is the lowest portionof the cup 10 such that brewed coffee collects in the recess 30 andexits the cup through the apertures 32, as discussed hereinafter. FIG. 7illustrates the cup 10 in an assembled state and containing coffee beans20. As shown therein, the paper filter 14 is positioned on the floor 26of the cup 12. The plastic screen 16 is positioned on top of the paperfilter 14 and protects the paper filter 14 from abrasion caused by agrinding blade and/or coffee grounds. Both the paper filter 14 and thescreen 16 are circular and sized to be closely received by thecircumferential sidewall 24 of the cup at the bottom thereof. As bestshown in FIG. 7, the screen 16 may be resilient and resistant to bendingsuch that the screen 16 provides a flat surface in the cup 12 on top ofwhich coffee bean 20 may rest. Importantly, the screen 16 prevents thecoffee beans 20 from falling to the floor 26 of the cup 12 (which may beout of reach of a grinding blade) to facilitate optimal grinding by thegrinding blade, as discussed in detail hereinafter. As discussed above,the foil cover 18 seals the filter 14, screen 16 and coffee beans 20inside the cup 12.

The cup 10 may be stored and transported in a separate sealed package orwrapper for additional freshness and protection, and the apertures 32 inthe floor 26 may be covered with, for example, an adhesive label (notshown). In the preferred embodiment, the filter cup 10 is apre-packaged, single-use, disposable component. Thus, it is sealed bythe foil cover 18 in an air-tight manner to preserve freshness andflavor and to protect the coffee beans 20 from moisture andcontamination. As discussed above, the filter cup 10 may be sealed bythe foil cover 18 and an adhesive label, or may be packaged in a wrapperwith or without the adhesive label. In an alternative embodiment, it iscontemplated that the filter cup 10 may instead be a re-usable cup thatis re-filled for each use. In an embodiment, the floor 26 of the cup maybe formed without apertures 32. In this embodiment, the floor of the cup26 may be pierced by a needle upon insertion into a coffee appliance toprovide an exit for the flow of brewed coffee.

Referring now to FIG. 8, an alternative construction of a filter cup 50is shown. As shown therein, the cup 50 is substantially similar in shapeand construction as the cup 10, however, a metal mesh filter 52 may beutilized in place of the paper/fabric filter 14 and the protectiveplastic screen 16. In this embodiment, the metal mesh filter 52 is fineenough such that it prevents coffee grounds from exiting the cup 10 andalso provides a level of abrasion resistance. While it is disclosed thatthe filter 34 may be formed from a metal mesh, other materialssubstantially resistant to abrasion from the grinding blade and/orcoffee grounds may also be utilized without departing from the broaderaspects of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 9-24, an appliance 100 according to an embodiment ofthe present invention is shown. The appliance 100 is intended to be usedin combination with the filter cup 10, disclosed above, in order to brewa coffee or other beverage. As shown therein, the appliance 100 isgenerally rectangular in shape and comprises a base 102 and a drip trayhousing 104 slidably receiving a drip tray 106 having a slotted orgrated top surface 108. The surface 108 of the tray 106 is adapted tohave a container, such as a coffee mug 109, placed upon it to receivebrewed coffee as it is produced by and emitted from the appliance 100.As will be readily appreciated, the slotted surface 108 permits liquidthat may be spilled from the cup 109 or that miss the cup 109 duringoperation to pass through the surface 108 and collect in the drip tray106, for easy cleanup.

A housing 110 is located above, and supported by, the base 102 andslidably receives a grinding platform such as a filter cup housing/tray112 for securing and positing the filter cup 10 during use. A handle 114is pivotally mounted to the housing 110 for operation, as describedbelow. As further shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a water reservoir 116 isattached to, supported by, and otherwise forms a part of the housing 17.In an embodiment, the water reservoir 116 may be removably orpermanently mounted to the housing 110. The housing 110 also includes acontrol panel 118 for controlling operational features of the appliance,as discussed hereinafter. As best shown in FIG. 9, the base 102 includesa recess on one side there for slidably receiving a discard tank 120 forreceiving water from a cleaning operation of the appliance 100(described below) and discarded filter cups 10 after use. In analternative embodiment, the tray 112 may be pivotally received by thehousing 110 and movable between a first position in which thehousing/tray 112 is received within the housing, and a second positionin which the tray 112 is pivoted away from the housing and towards auser to facilitate the installation of a filter cup 10. In anembodiment, the tray 112 is removable from the housing 110 for cleaning.

Operation of the appliance 100 will now be described with specificreference to FIGS. 17-24. First, the water reservoir 116 is filled withwater. A user then selects the desired coffee settings from the controlpanel 118. Settings may include selectable options such as coffeestrength and serving size, timer setting, automatic brew, etc. Thehandle 114 is then moved upwardly in the direction of arrow A, as shownin FIG. 17, in order to unlock the tray 112 from its seated and retainedposition within the housing 110. The tray 112 slides out from theappliance 100 in the direction of arrow B to the position shown in FIG.18, under force of a spring 154. In this position, the tray 112 is readyfor a filter cup 10 to be placed into the receiving bracket 124 in thetray 112.

After the cup 10 is inserted into the tray 112, the tray 112 is nowready to be pushed back into the appliance 100 in the direction of arrowC, as shown in FIG. 19. In particular, the tray 112 is pushed manuallyback into the appliance 100 so that it is received by the housing 110 inlocked position, as shown in FIG. 20. The handle 114 is then lowered inthe direction of arrow D in order to automatically initiate the grindingand brewing processes.

Referring to FIG. 21, as noted above, the grinding process startsautomatically after the handle 114 is lowered. In the process, thecoffee beans 20 in the filter cup 10 are ground by a grinding blade 126that is received within the cup 10 so that the beans 20 are turned intocoffee grounds 128. After grinding is completed, heated water isdelivered into the cup 10 from a water outlet described hereinafter. Asrepresented by the arrow 130 in FIG. 22, coffee is emitted from thebottom of the tray 112, which has an opening to enable such emission,into the coffee mug 109 positioned beneath the tray 112.

After the brewing process is complete, the handle 114 is raised from theposition shown in FIG. 23 in the direction of arrow E to the positionshown in FIG. 24. Again, movement of the handle 114 to its upperposition unlocks the tray 112 so that it slides out of the housing 110appliance 100, permitting the user to manually remove the used filtercup 10 from the tray 112. The cup 110 may then be discarded into thediscard tank 120. The filled mug 109 of coffee may be removed from thedrip tray 106 before or after this step.

In an embodiment, while the tray 112 is in the out position, as shown inFIG. 24, a blade cleaning operation automatically begins. In the bladecleaning operation water is emitted from the water outlet 132. Becausethe cup 10 has been removed, the blade is surrounded by space therebyenabling the flowing water to rinse it clean. In an embodiment, theblade may rotate during application of water to facilitate cleaning.Since the tray 112 is in the out position, the water will not drain outof the bottom of the cup 10 and tray 112, as it does in the brewingmode. Instead, the water is diverted because it falls into the rear end134 of the tray 112 into a collection pan 136, as is shown in FIG. 59.The water exits from the collection pan 136 of the tray 112 via adiscard tube 138 and falls into the discard tank 120.

In an alternative embodiment, a cup containing a cleaning liquid such aswater may be utilized to clean the blade 166 either periodically orafter each use. In this embodiment, a cleaning cup is inserted into thereceptacle 124 and the appliance 100 is actuated by pulling the handle114 downward. The appliance 100 may then run a normal brewing cycle.Alternatively, a button on the control panel 118 may be depressed to runa cleaning cycle. The cleaning cycle may be specifically configured,e.g., water temperature, run time, blade rotation speed, to optimizeblade cleaning and sterilization. In alternative embodiments, thecleaning cup may contain a cleaning solution or a slurry of cleaningingredients. The cleaning ingredients may be liquid or dry and may takethe form of granules, powder, etc.

In yet another embodiment, a cleaning operation may including running abrewing cycle without actually inserting a filter cup 10. In thisembodiment, the handle 114 may be moved downward to begin the cycle suchthat heated water is passed over the stationary or rotating blade 166 toclean the blade. Alternatively, a button on the control panel 118 may bedepressed to initiate the cleaning cycle.

FIGS. 62 and 63 illustrate the tray 112 and the collection pan 136. FIG.64 illustrates the bottom view of the tray 112 and shows the openings 32of the cup 10 as viewed through an opening 140 in the bottom of the tray112 that permits brewed coffee to flow out.

FIG. 25A schematically illustrates how ground coffee 128, which isground from whole coffee beans 20 in a procedure described below, isinfused with heated water to produce coffee. The ground coffee 128 islocated in the cup 10 and heated water is introduced from above througha water outlet 132 as indicated by the arrow 142. The heated water flowsthrough the ground coffee 128 in the cup 10 and exits from the apertures32 in the bottom of the cup 10 as shown by arrow 144.

FIGS. 26 and 27 illustrate certain internal components of the appliance100. As shown therein, the water reservoir 116 is filled with water. Thetray 112 is withdrawn to permit placement of a cup 10 into a receivingbracket 124 in the tray 112, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19. The tray 112is then pushed back into the appliance to the position shown in FIG. 20.The handle 113 is then moved downwardly, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22.Such movement of the handle 114 causes the cup 10 to be raised upwardlyfor grinding of the coffee beans 20 in the cup 10, as described below.The appliance 100 includes a heater 146 and pump 148 to heat water fromthe reservoir 116 and route it through a supply conduit to perform abrewing operation as described with reference to FIG. 25A. As shown inFIGS. 26-29, a grinder motor 150 is positioned in the housing 110 of theappliance 100 to carry out grinding of the coffee beans 20 in a mannerdescribed below. A hot water tube 152 carries heated water from theheater 146 to the water outlet 132 located above the tray 112.

As best shown in FIGS. 27 and 29, lifting mechanism 156 is activated bythe handle 114 in order to cause movement of the cup 10 between alowered position and a raised position. The mechanism 156 includes alinkage arm 158, a pin 160 operatively attached to the receiving bracket124 of the tray 112 and associated slot 162, and a plate 164 in whichthe slot 162 is located. In operation, upon moving the handle 114 in thedownwards direction, pin 160 follows the path of the slot 162 and causesthe cup 10 and the receiving bracket 124 to be lifted upwards into thegrinding blade. Guideposts 161 are received in bore holes 163 of thereceiving bracket to ensure proper orientation and alignment of the cup10 with the grinding blade. Lowering of the cup 10 follows the reverseprocess.

Referring to FIG. 30, the appliance 100 includes a grinding blade 166attached to and driven by a rotary output shaft 168 associated with thegrinder motor 150. When the handle 112 is moved to the lower position asshown in FIG. 28, the cup 10 is raised so that the blade 166 engages andpierces through the foil cover 18 and enters the cup 10 and comes intocontact with the coffee beans 20. The cup loading/raising mechanism 156,which is activated by the handle 114, moves the cup 10 between thisraised position for grinding, and a lowered position. The spring 154 isa user assist spring, which biases the tray 112 outwards from thehousing 110 when then handle 114 is raised, in order to insert a cup 10.

As shown in FIG. 31, movement of the handle 114 to the raised positionunlocks the tray 112 so it slides out under force of the spring 154 incooperation with a plate 165 (which serves as a anchoring object for thespring to work off of) in order to allow placement of a cup 10 into thereceiving bracket 124 of the tray 112. A user then places a cup 10 intothe tray 112 as shown in FIG. 32. The tray 112 must be manually pushedback into the closed position as shown in FIG. 33 until it locks inplace by the tray lock 170 shown in FIG. 34.

FIGS. 35-37 illustrate the piercing and grinding sequence in accordancewith the present invention. As shown in FIG. 35, the filter cup 10 israised upwardly toward the blade 166, in the direction of arrow F whenthe handle 114 is lowered. FIG. 36 illustrates the position of the cup10 when it is fully raised. In that position, a seal ring 172, such asan O-ring, engages a top rim of the cup 10 so that when the brewingprocess occurs the cup 10 may be pressurized. FIG. 37 illustrates thelowered position of the cup 10 after grinding and brewing occur and thehandle 114 is raised. Importantly, the seal ring 172 seals the top ofthe cup 10 so that the cup may be pressurized. In the preferredembodiment, the cup is pressurized in excess of 200 kilopascals (2 bars)during brewing, although other pressures may be employed withoutdeparting from the broader aspects of the present invention.

Various views of the grinding blade 166 for grinding the whole coffeebeans are shown in FIGS. 38-43. As shown therein, the blade 166 has aV-shaped configuration. Importantly, the blade 166 has insert cuttingedges 174 so that the foil cover 18 of the cup 10 can be pierced whenthe cup 10 is raised upon downwards movement of the handle 114. The topof the blade also includes upward facing extract cutting edges 176 forcutting through the foil cover 18 when the cup 10 is lowered away fromthe blade subsequent to brewing, upon upwards movement of the handle114. Each leg of the “V” is also formed with an opposed recess 178 andraised ridge 180 to facilitate grinding of the coffee beans 20, asdescribed hereinafter. The blade 166 also includes a collar 182 forconnection to the output shaft 168 of the grinding motor 150. In such anembodiment, the blade 166 may be removable for replacement and/or morethorough cleaning. In an alternative embodiment, the blade 166 isintegrally formed or otherwise fixedly secured to the output shaft 168of the motor 150. As will be readily appreciated, the slim profile ofthe blade 166 puts cuts a slot a minimal width in the foil cover 18 toprevent coffee grounds 128 from being thrown out of the cup 10 duringgrinding. In addition, the shape and configuration of the blade 166facilitates cleaning.

FIG. 44 illustrates the cup 10 being raised toward the blade 166 andFIG. 45 illustrates the blade 166, by way of the insert cutting edges174, piercing the foil cover 18 of the cup 10. In both FIGS. 44 and 45the coffee beans 20 in the cup 10 are not yet ground. After grinding,the beans 20 have been transformed into ground coffee 128. Brewingoccurs, as described above, and the cup 10 is then lowered as shown inFIGS. 46 and 47 such that the extract cutting edges 176 of the blade 166again pierce the foil cover 18, if necessary, to facilitate removal ofthe cup 10 from the blade 166.

Referring now to FIGS. 48-50, the actual grinding process isillustrated. Upon actuation of the grinding motor 150, the grindingblade 166 rotates at a high frequency sufficient to grind the coffeebeans 20 in the filter cup 20 to transform the coffee beans 20 fromwhole beans, as shown in FIG. 48, to grinds, as shown in FIG. 60. Inparticular, the blade 166 is rotated in a direction (see FIG. 49) thatcauses the ridge 180 on the blade 166 to strike/impact the coffee beans20 to cause them to split. Over time, numerous impacts from the bladeitself, and most importantly, by the ridges 180, gradually reduce thesize of the coffee beans to fine grounds sufficient for brewing. In anembodiment, the blade 166 may continue to rotate at a predeterminedfrequency during the brewing process, i.e., during the time during whichhot water is passed through the cup 12. The frequency of rotation duringbrewing may be the same as, or different from, the frequency utilized togrind the coffee beans 20. In other embodiments, the blade 166 may beutilized to stir drink ingredients during brewing, such as to facilitatedissolution of drink ingredients into the water passing through the cup10 (e.g., when utilizing iced tea drink ingredients in place of wholecoffee beans). As will be readily appreciated, stirring the drinkingredients/coffee beans within the cup 10 while brewing may produce abetter tasting beverage. In particular, stirring during brewing mayimprove the contact between the coffee grounds 128 and the hot water,which may improve coffee quality and/or concentration.

In an alternative embodiment, the filter cup 10 may be retracted fromthe grinding blade 166 prior to distributing heated water to the cup 10.As will be readily appreciated, this ensures that the grinding blade 166only touches the coffee when it is dry (i.e., when it grinds the coffeebeans 20 prior to brewing). Accordingly, grounds coffee is not assusceptible to sticking to the blade 166 as it would be if the blade 166and ground coffee 128 were present together in a wet environment and, assuch, keeps the blade substantially free of coffee grounds withouthaving to clean the blade.

FIGS. 52-57 illustrate an alternative configuration for a grinding blade184 that may be utilized with the appliance 100. As shown therein, theblade has a V-shaped configuration and has a piercing edge 186 forpiercing the foil cover 18 of the cup 10. The blade 184 also has twohorizontally extending flanges 188, 190 to facilitate grinding of thecoffee beans 20 and two upward edges 192, 194 for again cutting throughthe foil 18 when the cup 10 is lowered away from the blade 184. As withthe blade 166 of the preferred embodiment, the blade 184 may bereleasably attached to the output shaft 168 of the grinding motor 150,or it may be integrally formed or otherwise permanently affixed thereto.

The path of water used in the process of the present invention isillustrated in FIG. 58. First, the reservoir 116 is filled with water.In an embodiment, the reservoir 116 may be releasably received on thehousing 110 such that a user can remove the reservoir 116 to fill itwith water and then place it on the housing 110. As will be readilyappreciated, such a configuration may be easier than bring a watersource to the reservoir itself. The reservoir 116 may have a removablelid 194 as shown in FIG. 60 to facilitate filling with water. A wateroutlet 196, best shown in FIGS. 17-24, permits water to flow from thereservoir 116 under the force of gravity. The outlet 196 may be equippedwith a valve 198 of a type commonly known to those skilled in the art,wherein the valve my be electronically activated and controlled by meansof a conventional controller from an open position to a closed position,and vice versa. During brewing, water exits the reservoir 116 throughthe outlet 196 and travels through a first tube 200 until it reaches thepump 148. The pump 148 pumps the water through the heater 146 in orderto heat the water to a desired, predetermined temperature. The waterpasses from the heater 146 through the hot water supply tube 152 to thewater outlet 132.

In an embodiment, at the end of the brewing process, the flow of waterwill be shut off prior than the heater such that steam will be generatedto push or blow out excess liquid remaining in the cup 10. As will bereadily appreciated, this steam blast ensures that the last few drops ofcoffee do not remain in the cup 10 and prevents dripping.

As shown in FIG. 25B, in an embodiment, the water outlet 132 is a showerhead in the form of an annular tube or ring 208 having a plurality ofapertures 210 formed therein for distributing heated water. Heated wateremitted from the apertures 210 of the shower head 132 is used both forbrewing coffee and for rinsing the blade 166 in the cleaning operation.During brewing the heated water leaving the water outlet/shower head 132enters the cup 10 which, at this point in the process, contains groundcoffee 128. The water, now brewed coffee, exits the cup 10 through theapertures 32 in the floor 26 of the cup 10. As it exits the cup throughthe apertures 32, it travels down through an exit conduit in the tray112 before emitting through the tray exit 202. In an embodiment, thetray may include a flow softening member 204 directly below theapertures 32 of the filter cup 10. The flow softening member retards thedirect flow of brewed coffee into the coffee mug 109 so that the brewedcoffee doesn't gush out and splash a user or create a mess. Afterleaving the exit 202, the water, which has now become brewed coffee,falls into the coffee mug 109. The volume of liquid selected,corresponding to the serving size, is pre-selected using the controls118, and the pump 148 and water outlet 196 are accordingly controlled topermit flow of only the selected amount before shutting off flow.

FIGS. 65-67 illustrate an alternative configuration of the drip tray 106in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. As showntherein, the drip tray is moveable between a first position, as shown inFIG. 66, in which the tray 106 is positioned below the brewed coffeeexit 202, and a second position, as shown in FIG. 7, in which the driptray 106 is housed within the base 102 of the appliance 100. With thedrip tray 106 in the position shown in FIG. 67, taller cups/mugs 206 maybe accommodated.

FIG. 68 illustrates a coffee appliance 300 having an alternativeconfiguration in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention. As shown therein, instead of the cup 10 being installedvertically and the grinding blade 166, brew shower head 132 and motor150 being in a vertical position above the cup 10, these elements areoriented horizontally. In particular, as shown therein, the filter cup10 is installed in a horizontal orientation within the housing 110. Inaddition, the grinding motor 150, shower head 132 and blade 166 arepositioned to the side of the cup 10 in a horizontal position. In thisembodiment, the appliance 300 includes a conduit 302 in communicationwith the bottom of the cup 10 such that brewed coffee exits the cup andis routed through the conduit 302 to the outlet 202 for distributioninto a user's cup 109.

FIGS. 69 and 70 illustrate a coffee appliance 400 according to yetanother embodiment of the present invention. The coffee appliance 400 issimilar in configuration to that of the appliance 100 disclosed above,with a few notable differences. As shown therein, instead of the motor150, blade 166 and shower head 132 being stationary and the cup 10 beinglifted into engagement with the blade 166, in this embodiment, the brewshower head 132, motor 150 and blade 166 are configured to move towardsand away from a stationary cup 10. FIG. 69 illustrates a first positionof the motor 150, blade 166 and brew head 132 above the stationaryfilter cup 10. The motor 150, blade 166 and brew head 132 are moveablein the vertical direction to a second position, shown in FIG. 70, inwhich the blade is disposed within the cup 10. The vertical movement ofthe motor 150, blade 166 and shower head 132 may be effectuated byutilizing mechanical action or electrical actuators. The coffeeappliance 400 according to this embodiment may be characterized ashaving an active brew assembly (motor 150, grinding blade 166 and showerhead 132) and a passive filter cup 10, as opposed to an active filtercup 10 and passive brew assembly.

While the preferred embodiment contemplates the grinding and brewing ofcoffee from whole coffee beans, the present invention is not intended tobe limited in this regard. In particular, it is contemplated that thepresent invention apparatus and method are not limited to cupscontaining whole bean coffee, per se, and the invention may be used withcups containing ground coffee, partially ground coffee, tea leaves,ground tea, or drink mix ingredients. In addition, the applianceaccording to the embodiments of the present invention can make/brewbeverages from any ingredients contained within the filter cup, and isnot limited to brewing coffee from whole coffee beans.

Although this invention has been shown and described with respect to thedetailed embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of skill inthe art that various changes may be made and equivalents may besubstituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of theinvention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particularsituation or material to the teachings of the invention withoutdeparting from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intendedthat the invention not be limited to the particular embodimentsdisclosed in the above detailed description, but that the invention willinclude all embodiments falling within the scope of this disclosure.

1. A pre-packaged, single serve beverage container, said containercomprising: a cup-shaped body having a floor, a circumferentialsidewall, and a top opening; a filter element positioned above thefloor; at least one aperture formed in said floor; a plurality of drinkingredients positioned adjacent said filter element within said body;and a cover affixed to the cup body and covering said top opening tocontain said drink ingredients within said container.
 2. The containerof claim 1, wherein: said drink ingredients are whole coffee beans. 3.The container of claim 1, wherein: said cover is formed from metallicfoil.
 4. The container of claim 2, wherein: said filter element is madeof paper.
 5. The container of claim 2, further comprising: a screenpositioned over said filter element and beneath said whole coffee beans.6. The container of claim 5, wherein: said screen is plastic.
 7. Thecontainer of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of grooves formedin said floor of said container for directing a flow of liquid in saidcontainer to said at least one aperture in said floor.
 8. A brewedbeverage appliance, comprising: a reservoir for housing a liquid; agrinding mechanism; a grinding platform having a grinding cavity, saidgrinding platform moving from a first grinding position in which saidgrinding mechanism is not disposed within said grinding cavity, to asecond grinding position in which said grinding mechanism is disposedwithin said grinding cavity; a control circuit for selectively causingsaid grinding mechanism to operate when in said second grindingposition; and a pump, said pump selectively pumping said liquid fromsaid reservoir to said grinding cavity after said grinding mechanism hasoperated within said grinding cavity.
 9. The brewed beverage applianceof claim 8, further comprising: a handle pivotally mounted on saidappliance and mechanically associated with said grinding platform suchthat movement of said handle causes movement of said grinding platformbetween said first grinding position and said second grinding position.10. The brewed beverage appliance of claim 8, wherein: said grindingplatform is slidably received in said brewed beverage appliance and isconfigurable between a first position in which said grinding platform isextended from said brewed beverage appliance to allow for loading of acontainer of whole coffee beans, and a second position in which saidgrinding platform is positioned substantially within said brewedbeverage appliance.
 11. The brewed beverage appliance of claim 8,further comprising: a heater to heat said liquid from said reservoir;and a water delivery mechanism to deliver said heated liquid to saidgrinding platform.
 12. The brewed beverage appliance of claim 8,wherein: said grinding mechanism includes a blade and an electric motoroperatively connected to said blade; wherein actuation of said motorcauses said blade to rotate about an axis to grind at least one beverageingredient within said grinding platform.
 13. The coffee appliance ofclaim 8, wherein: said reservoir is removable from said coffeeappliance.
 14. The coffee appliance of claim 8, wherein: said reservoirincludes a removable lid.
 15. A brewed beverage system, comprising: ahousing having a liquid reservoir; a grinding mechanism arranged withinsaid housing; a sealed beverage container containing a beverageingredient having particles of a first size; a grinding platform havinga grinding cavity, said grinding platform being selectively moved in andout of said housing and said cavity being configured to releasablyaccommodate said sealed beverage container; a moving means forselectively moving said grinding platform from a first grinding positionto a second grinding position when said sealed beverage container is insaid grinding cavity, wherein when in said first grinding position saidgrinding mechanism is not disposed within said sealed beveragecontainer, and when in said second grinding position said grindingmechanism is disposed within said sealed beverage container; a controlcircuit for selectively causing said grinding mechanism to operate whenin said second grinding position, said grinding mechanism acting on saidbeverage ingredient to reduce said particles from said first size to asecond size, said second size being smaller than said first size; and apump, said pump selectively pumping a liquid from said liquid reservoirto said sealed beverage container, said sealed beverage containerincluding an exit aperture to permit said liquid to exit said sealedbeverage container.
 16. The brewed beverage appliance of claim 15,wherein: said beverage ingredient is a plurality of whole coffee beans.17. The brewed beverage appliance of claim 15, wherein: said grindingplatform is slidably received in said brewed beverage appliance and isslidable between a first position in which said grinding platform isextended from said brewed beverage appliance to allow for loading ofsaid container, and a second position in which said grinding platform ispositioned substantially within said brewed beverage appliance.
 18. Thebrewed beverage appliance of claim 15, further comprising: a handlepivotally mounted on said appliance and mechanically associated withsaid grinding platform such that movement of said handle causes movementof said grinding platform between said first grinding position and saidsecond grinding position.
 19. The brewed beverage appliance of claim 15,further comprising: a heater to heat said liquid from said reservoir;and a water delivery mechanism to deliver said heated liquid to saidbeverage container.
 20. The brewed beverage appliance of claim 15,wherein: said grinding mechanism includes a blade and an electric motoroperatively connected to said blade; wherein actuation of said motorcauses said blade to rotate about an axis to grind at least one beverageingredient within said container.
 21. The brewed beverage appliance ofclaim 15, wherein: said container comprises a cup-shaped body having afloor, a circumferential wall, and a top opening; a filter elementpositioned above the floor; at least one aperture formed in the floor;said beverage ingredient being positioned adjacent the filter element;and a cover that covers the top of the opening and contains the wholecoffee beans in said container.
 22. The brewed beverage appliance ofclaim 15, wherein: said reservoir is removable from said brewed beverageappliance.
 23. A beverage appliance, comprising: a housing, said housingincluding a liquid reservoir; a receptacle in said housing dimensionedto receive a container containing at least one drink ingredient havingparticles of a first size; and a mechanism for transforming saidparticles of said drink ingredient from said first size to a second sizewithin said container, said second size being smaller than said firstsize.
 24. The beverage appliance of claim 23, wherein: said particles ofat least one drink ingredient are whole coffee beans.
 25. The beverageappliance of claim 23, wherein: said mechanism is a grinding bladerotatable driven by a motor.
 26. The beverage appliance of claim 25,wherein: said grinding blade is substantially V-shaped and includes abottom sharpened edge, a top sharpened edge and at least one protrusionon a side thereof, said at least one protrusion impacting said particlesupon rotation of said grinding blade.
 27. The beverage appliance ofclaim 23, wherein: said receptacle is slidably received by said housingand is movable between a first position in which the tray is extendedfrom said housing to allow for insertion of said container, and a secondposition in which said receptacle is positioned within said housing. 28.The beverage appliance of claim 23, further comprising; a pump forreceiving liquid from said liquid reservoir and directing it to saidcontainer; and a heater for heating said liquid.
 29. The beverageappliance of claim 23, further comprising: a control panel forcontrolling at least one operation of said beverage appliance.
 30. Thebeverage appliance of claim 23, further comprising: a handle pivotallymounted on said appliance and mechanically associated with saidreceptacle such that movement of said handle causes movement of saidtray between a first position and said second position.
 31. The beverageappliance of claim 30, wherein: movement of said handle causes movementof said receptacle between a raised position and a lower position.
 32. Amethod of brewing a beverage, said method comprising the steps of:providing a beverage appliance configured to receive a containercontaining at least one drink ingredient having particles of a firstsize; grinding said particles of said at least one drink ingredientwithin said container from said first size to a second size, said secondsize being smaller than said first size; and delivering heated liquid tosaid container to produce a brewed beverage.
 33. The method of brewing abeverage according to claim 32, wherein: said at least one drinkingredient is a plurality of whole coffee beans.
 34. The method ofbrewing a beverage according to claim 32, wherein: said beverageappliance includes a liquid reservoir.
 35. The method of brewing abeverage according to claim 34, further comprising the step of: heatingliquid from said liquid reservoir.
 36. The method of brewing a beverageaccording to claim 32, further comprising the step of: distributing saidbrewed beverage from said appliance to a brewed beverage receptaclereceived on a base of said beverage appliance.
 37. The method of brewinga beverage according to claim 32, wherein: said beverage applianceincludes a tray configured to receive said container.
 38. The method ofbrewing a beverage according to claim 37, further comprising the stepof: placing said container in said tray; and moving said containertowards said grinding mechanism to cause a blade of said grindingmechanism to penetrate into said container.
 39. The method according toclaim 34, wherein: said reservoir is removable from said base.
 40. Themethod according to claim 39, wherein: said reservoir includes a lidremovable mounted thereto.
 41. The method according to claim 38, furthercomprising the steps of: extending said tray from said coffee appliance;closing said tray such that said tray is received in said coffeeappliance after said step of placing said container of whole coffeebeans in said tray.
 42. The method according to claim 32, furthercomprising the step of: actuating a button on a control panel to controlat least one operation of said coffee appliance.
 43. The methodaccording to claim 32, further comprising the step of: moving a handlemounted on said coffee machine and mechanically associated with saidtray to cause movement of said tray between an extended position and aclosed position.
 44. The method according to claim 32, wherein: saidcontainer comprises a cup-shaped body having a floor, a circumferentialwall, and a top opening; a filter element positioned above the floor; atleast one opening in the floor; a plurality of whole coffee beanspositioned on the filter element; and a thin material covering thatcovers the top of the opening and contains the coffee beans in the cup.45. The method according to claim 32, further comprising the step of:stirring said ground coffee beans while said heated liquid is deliveredinto said container.
 46. A method of brewing coffee, said methodcomprising the steps of: providing a container containing whole coffeebeans; transforming said whole coffee beans into coffee grounds withinsaid container; and passing heated water through said container to brewsaid coffee.
 47. The method of brewing coffee according to claim 46,further comprising the step of: inserting said container into areceptacle of a coffee appliance; and piercing a cover of said containerwith a grinding blade.
 48. The method of brewing coffee according toclaim 47, further comprising the step of: removing said grinding bladefrom said container; and cleaning said grinding blade with a stream ofheated water.
 49. The method of brewing coffee according to claim 47,further comprising the step of: stirring said coffee grounds whilepassing said heated water through said container.